Taking away 5 wk old chicks from Mama

[CK Chickadilly]

My chicks are 5 wks old. now...Banties. The DH is getting angry cause they are locked in the pole barn at night & the pole barn has a work bench etc. in it. They are old enough to fly up on stuff & they are pooing all over everything! Big mess now.

I want to take all the little girls & put them in a cage & start handling them more to make them friendlier. It has gotten down right cold the last few nights & I worry about them. There are 9 of them.

I plan on putting down straw & then top it off with pine shavings to keep them warm & cover the cage with a tarp. The other half of the cage is wire bottom so there will be ventilation.

I thought I would let her keep her boys & start training them to the goat barn where the other banties roost. But the boys will eventually go to the auction soon I hope. (I feel bad about that).

My question is.....are they girls going to ok at night in that cage? Or are they to young yet? Should I keep one of the little roos? or take them all to the auction?

Any other advise? Thanks!

 

[CK Chickadilly]

I should also mention that they were hatched outside & they have been outside since day one with mama....other than I trained them at night to the pole barn.
Thanks!

 

[hinkjc]

Are they still using mom to go under and warm up? That would be my only concern. If not, then I don't see any reason why you can't separate them.

Jody

 

[lilchick]

Could you put momma in the cage with them for a few more weeks just to keep them warm if needed?
I see no harm in that and you could still handle them to tame them down...

Oh please do not take the roosters to auction..

Let me plead their case... I go to auctions twice a month and I know where most of the birds go... Even the banties can be sold for sacrificial worship purposes...
Don't even want to think about what happens..
I live in Indiana and it is popular here. I usually bid against the ones who buy them for that. I have ALOT of little guys running around here and they do not eat much

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Sometimes the little ones still try to warm under mama, but some don't too. There are 13 of them & they are getting pretty big already & she is not big enough....

They have their feathers. Yes, I could put mam in there too for a while.

I have been trying to sell of give away the roos. I hate taking them the auction & I can't cull them myself, so what to do??

Lilchick, you come & take the boys?

 

[hinkjc]

Maybe you could hang a sign at a local feed store to offer them to a good home. I would keep them with mom a little longer. If you look under the wings, there are likely still fuzzy patches that don't have feathers yet. Most birds take at least 6 weeks to feather in and some as long as 8 weeks.

Jody

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Yeah, I got mama & caught all the babies this evening & put them in a coop. I felt bad taking them away from her yet so the compromise was putting her in the coop with them.

I have put free signs in the feed stores & on Craigs List too. No takers for the roos.

 

[lilchick]

If I were closer I would take the little roos .... My hubby and I take bike trips on the Harley. At least 2 times a year to Michigan..Maybe I could put them in carrier strapped on back of my seat!
Believe me I would love to haul more things on the bike but hubby says only what fits in saddle bags...

 

[CK Chickadilly]

We'll just have to rig up a wind proof bird cage you can mount on your saddle bags....

I think I just found a guy to take Henry, my big roo...he says he'll give him a good home, I hope he will.

 

[cajunlizz]

I have 6 week olds and they are ALL feathered . I took the hen away from them at 2 weeks old . PLENTY of hay in the cage with food and water and they are just fine . Besides , what do you think happens when people order baby chicks from a hatchery ? they are away from their mother RIGHT AWAY .